


Quill & Ink

by EmeraldHeiress



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood: Lost Days, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Big Brother Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Bruce thinks he's losing it, Crack Treated Seriously, Creepy Ra's al Ghul, Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, Humor, Mentioned Ra's al Ghul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21555688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldHeiress/pseuds/EmeraldHeiress
Summary: “Jason, you can’t just crash breakfast, you’ll give Bruce a heart attack. Jason!”
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Talia al Ghul & Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Comments: 30
Kudos: 800





	Quill & Ink

“Jason, you can’t just crash breakfast, you’ll give Bruce a heart attack. _Jason!_ ”

Dick and Bruce shared an amused look at the exasperated call from the family rooms. Tim’s date from last night was apparently joining them for breakfast. That was fine. Despite what Tim obviously thought, Bruce didn’t mind. He knew Alfred had made extra as soon as he’d realized they’d had an additional person overnight. 

Bruce felt a pang when he realized that Alfred had made _their_ Jason’s favorite breakfast. His second son was still very much missed, even five years later. Brisk footsteps padded in the hallway and Bruce prepared his company smile to greet their guest.

The door to the family dining room opened abruptly, revealing a striking young man about Bruce’s own height, in last night’s tuxedo pants and dress shirt. Bruce arched a brow when he realized the man’s feet were bare; a little informal for a guest. His black hair was tied rather haphazardly at the nape of his neck. His eyes...

Bruce froze, fork halfway to his mouth. Those were _their_ Jason’s eyes. “Dick?” The flatware slipped out of his hand and clattered to the plate. The older man asked shakily, “Rating?”

“Shared.” Dick offered, just as strained. “Gotta be a 10.” Setting his own cup of coffee down heavily.

“Tim says none of you got my letters!” The apparition declared, angrily.

“Jason?” Bruce breathed.

Alfred came in at that moment, carrying a tea service. He looked up and stumbled, dropping the tray. 

“Master Jason?!” The old man gasped, pale.

The ghost immediately knelt and started picking up the tea things, “Oh, shit, Alfie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare anyone!”

Tim burst through the door, nearly tumbling over the undead boy kneeling on the floor. “Shit!” 

A hand snapped out and steadied him, “Whoa, little bird. Careful.”

“Are you _trying_ to give us all heart attacks?!” Tim demanded, grabbing J - _the hallucination’s_ shoulder.

“Yeah, I didn’t really think this one through.” The thing shrugged, sheepish.

“Alfred,” Bruce calmly began, “I’m afraid we may all be compromised. I fear some of Ivy’s pollen or Crane’s toxin got into the Manor.”

Ja - _the ghost_ turned incredulous eyes on him, “You think you’re hallucinating?”

“I told you.” Tim stated, looking frustrated.

“I’m getting that.”

Cassandra poked her head in the door next, looking curiously around. She took in the scene and turned to the unknown person in the room. “What did you do?”

He arched a brow at her. “I walked into the room.”

She took a closer look at him, carefully studying his face as he placed the tray and spilled tea service at the end of the table. “Jason.” She concluded. “You’re alive.”

“And kicking.” He affirmed, giving her small smirk. “I’m going to guess that you never got my letters either, Cassandra.”

“Letters?” She tilted her head. “No, no letters. What letters?”

“It’s a long story.” Jason… _could he actually be Jason_ … sighed.

“You will tell me later.” She demanded.

“Of course, little sister.” He smiled at her easily, eyes crinkling, and turned back to Bruce. “Dad. I'm here. It’s _me_. You’re _not_ hallucinating.”

“Impossible. You’re dead.” Bruce shook his head slowly, voice strained. 

Dick rose and walked around the table to the man, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Little Wing?”

“It’s me, Dick.” Jas - _He_ nodded, placing his hand over his older brother’s. “I’m alive. I’m here. I’m back.”

“How long?” Dick’s voice was hoarse.

“Four and a half years, give or take.” Jason shrugged.

“This whole time?!”

“More or less.” Dick’s fist connected hard with Jason’s shoulder. “Ow! Dick, what the fuck?”

“ _This whole time?!_ ”

“I’ve been writing! Did you miss what I said when I walked in?”

“I mean, yeah, kinda.” Dick rubbed his neck, uncomfortable.

Bruce felt a familiar hand rest on his shoulder and squeeze. Alfred. Still pale, but eyes bright. 

“Here’s here, Master Bruce. He’s _real_.” Wonder infused the older man’s voice.

Tension Bruce didn’t realize he was holding bled out, leaving him feeling drained. He looked at his _sons_. His boy was back. Somehow, some way, his second son had been returned to him. 

Dick was wrapped around Jason, who looked resigned yet slightly pleased with the affection. 

Tim looked on, unsure. 

It suddenly hit him.

“Didn’t Jason stay in Tim’s room last night?” His second youngest turned a brilliant red and he realized he’d said that out loud. Oops. 

Jason smirked and extracted himself from his brother’s grip. “Yep. That a problem, old man?” 

Bruce hid his embarrassment behind a cup of coffee. “Nope.” He tried for nonchalant, “Just checking.” He failed. He shot a sniggering Cass a look and rose, crossing the small distance to their newly returned member of the family. 

Words were difficult to force passed the lump in his throat. “Jay, I - I’ve missed you.”

The other man rolled his eyes. _His son was a man, now._ “For piss sakes, Bruce, come here.” 

He pulled Bruce to him and into a tight hug. The older man inhaled the scent of his son, feeling his eyes prick with emotion.

“I can’t believe you thought I was a hallucination.”

“It’s too good to be true” Bruce explained, voice hoarse.

“Shit, B.” Jason choked, then laughed, “Like you’re not going to take samples and test the hell out of them the second you can.” 

“It can wait 20 minutes.” He protested weakly.

Jason let go, laughing, only to be swept into Alfred’s arms. “My dear, dear boy.”

“Oh, Alfie. I missed you _so much_.”

The door opened behind them as the littlest bat finally entered the room. “What on _earth_ is going on down here?”

Jason bussed Alfred's cheek with a murmured _watch this_ before turning to the voice.

“Is that how you greet me after all this time, akhi?”

Damian’s eyes widened and he did something none of the bats had ever seen him do. The widest, most joy-filled grin stretched across his face as he shouted, “AMIR!” 

He leapt at the man, caught easily and comfortably seating himself, all 90 lbs of him, on Jason’s hip. The man seemed to carry him easily, like he’d done so many times before.

Jason grinned at him, listening indulgently as Damian chattered away at him in Arabic. He nattered on for a few moments, Jason occasionally replying in the same language, before breaking off and demanding in English, “Where are my presents?”

Jason arched a brow, “Who says I brought you _anything_ , you spoiled brat?”

“Aaaammmiiiirrrrrrrrr!” He whined, for once acting like the 11-year-old he was. 

Jason laughed and tapped the boy’s hip, indicating he should let go and get down. Once he did so, his older brother guided him to the table and sat him down, piling his plate with food and explaining. 

“You’re going to have to wait. I didn’t exactly have pockets big enough to carry everything in my costume last night. Ummi’s bringing everything later.”

“You came to the masquerade? Without telling me!” Damian demanded, indignantly, before the rest of Jason’s words hit his brain. “Mother’s coming?” He asked eagerly. 

Jason checked his watch, “In an hour or so.”

“ _Talia?_ ” Bruce asked, strangled. “You’ve been with Talia?”

Damian shot Bruce a confused look, “You know all this, Father. Why the surprise?”

“They haven't been getting my letters, habibi.”

“What?” Damian looked at his older brother blankly, “So who did you think I was talking about when I spoke of Amir?”

“A friend.” Cassandra interjected. “A very close friend you missed back home.”

“Aw, you talked about me, kiddo?”

The boy sniffed. “Of course not. You’re _boring_ and you don’t know how to take care of yourself.” The boy pointedly looked to the empty seat at his side. Jason ignored him, maneuvering a still stunned Tim into a seat at the table first and nudging Dick from his stupor. “Instead all you do is baby others who should be _perfectly capable_ of handling themselves.”

Jason winked at Alfred, who’s eyes were sparkling. The old butler always had recovered from surprises quicker than the rest of the household. Then, he slid into a seat next to Tim, gently leaning into the younger man.

The rest of breakfast passed like a dream to Bruce, as he watched his long lost son interact with his siblings and - he slid a look at Tim - his love interest. It was surreal. 

It didn’t take much to get the story out of Jason, though it was obvious he glossed over a lot with a meaningful look in Damian’s direction. The sticking point, though, seemed to be these letters. 

“I swear I’ve been sending them. Writing them every month or so for the last three and a half years.”

“You didn’t think it odd you didn’t get any replies?” Tim asked.

“I was getting replies from you and Damian.” Jason shrugged. “I assumed anything important the family was sending through you two. I did get some replies earlier on.”

“Akhi, do you think -” Damian started.

“Yes.” Jason answered firmly, knowing where he was going. “We’ll talk about it more when -” The doorbell rang and smile tugged his lips. “There she is.”

Alfred went to answer the door and Jason leisurely followed, the rest of the family trailing after like lost ducklings.

Damian rushed to Talia as she breezed through the door while bestowing a dazzling smile on the butler. The boy grabbed his mother around the waist, disregarding the two bags she was carrying and the luggage behind her. Jason barked at him in Arabic, getting a sulky look in response but he released the woman to a ruffle of hair.

“It’s only a moment, habibi.” She soothed, pressing lips to his forehead. “I missed you, too. Let’s get these in the entryway and then have a proper hello.” Jason got the same treatment as he went to assist, rapidly speaking in Arabic the whole time.

Surprise wrote itself across Talia’s face.

“Not getting them?” She asked, genuinely shocked. Her eyes darted to Bruce and the other members of the family. Then, amusement flitted over her features. “Tell me, darling, how did they react?”

“B thought I was a hallucination.” Jason smirked as he set down the last bag. 

She covered her mouth but it did little to hide her smile. “Did he?” She sobered after a moment and grimaced. “I think I know who.”

“You think so, too?” Jason sighed, seeming resigned.

“Who else could intercept League communications… and falsify them enough to make us think they hadn’t?”

“But why?” Damian asked, bewildered.

“How about a who?” Tim piped up, sidling up to Jason.

“Grandfather.” Jason stated, scrunching his nose. Bruce choked, hearing Jason’s form of address for Ra’s.

“He always did want young Timothy in the family.” Talia grimaced, nodding at the other man. “He would engineer things if he thought he could.”

“That’s just fucking creepy. That man does not know a boundary when he sees one.” Jason sighed.

“Unfortunately.” Talia agreed.

“The master manipulator. He’s lucky this worked out the way it did. It could have been disastrous.” 

“It would explain why he was against the trip.” Talia tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“You didn’t tell me that.” Blue eyes narrowed in thought as Jason stared at his adoptive mother.

“I don’t tell you everything, habibi.” She smirked and turned to look at the rest of the Waynes. “But it looks like we all have a lot to talk about.”

**Author's Note:**

> There's a lot of things that I post on tumblr that don't quite make it to AO3. If anyone's interested, you can find it in my [Blurb Masterlist](https://primeemeraldheiress.tumblr.com/post/189900941453/emerald-blurb-masterlist).
> 
> Also, anyone that follows my AA series should know that when I post the Bruce Fix-It fic for AA (titled _Fly With You_ ) I'm only going to be posting it to the _Pretty Little Bird_ series rather than the main _Ad Aglaophotis_ since it's a fix-it of that series specifically. So make sure your alerts are in order if you want to be notified of when it's up. (Hopefully, end of December, early January.)
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://primeemeraldheiress.tumblr.com/)  
> [Garpie64](https://garpie64.tumblr.com)


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